It can be difficult in SWL to find team members to run endgame content – Dungeons & Lairs. The pug queues can be a long time starting, with no reliability of who may be part of the team. (though, tbh, the pugs in SWL have the best skill and teamwork quality I’ve seen in the few games I have.) For Solo players especially, and small Cabals this is an ongoing problem and limits character advancement.
Last August, I and a few friends started a Discord server that intended to be a service to players wanting another option over and above the in game chat channels. This Server was intended to avoid competing with “Friends & Family” Discord servers, or with existing Cabal priorities. We reached over 100 players in roster at one point, 80 + now, active almost daily across Discord, if not SWL. (Edit - March 20 - Roster has increased by 50% to over 120 )
I would say it might resemble an ancient Roman Guild Hall in function, drawing cross-game players with similar interests and concerns together and allowing them to communicate effectively and quickly.
This server featured the following
1 – Role sorting (initiated by player) (non-bot) (@Dps, @Healer, @Tank)
- Allowing for contacting the role across the entire Discord network, including other games.
2 – Player managed IP in nickname - Obvious visual aid to capability and needs.
3 – Pre-made team structure (with Team Leader Role(s)) - The Team players have their own specific Role, ie: Team Bob, unique to their group, that can be used to contact all players who have that Role, across the entire Discord network. A Team group also has their own Discord “Category” with Voice/Text locked to their role. (plus open text and voice to allow for bringing in strangers). This “Named Team” category is customizable by the Team Leader.
4 – Audit Log access for Team Leaders and up. - In game actions are visible to all who have a need to know.
5 – Administrator Roles are “Team Leader” and “Operator” - Leaders have needed permissions to manage their specific groups. (Mute, Deafen, Move)
o Team Leaders are focused on their own groups, and runs, using server facilities. - Operators have needed permissions, (excluding “Administrator”, “Manage Server” and a few others. Temporary access was available for “Manage Channels”. There was never a need for “Manage Nicknames”, or “Manage Webhooks”)
o The main server “workload” for Operators was in assigning roles in response to player requests. (1 specific channel is used to place those requests, right-click, check the box, and done.)
6- Honorary Role of “Ambassador” in recognition of existing Leaders in the game, typically Cabal Officers. - They may want access to the server, but be unable to participate due to other priorities.
- They have same permissions as Team Leaders.
The Server had some initial success but fell into disuse as player population in server wasn’t high enough, and folks found other solutions. The Server was also designed not to compete with Cabal Servers and suffered from a lack of group planned activities.
I still think that this server would be useful for solos’, small groups, and Cabals looking to round out their groups. It also offers an option to players living on Cabal servers that (and understandably so) limit access and permissions.
With Season 2 incoming, and hopefully a boost in new and returning players, this server can help everyone.
What is needed is players to access the server and be willing to include new faces into their Lairs, Dungeons, World Bosses, etc. Invite your friends, enemies, etc. to the server. Hopefully this means more friends for all.
If anyone is interested in “Team Leader” or “Operator” roles, let me know.
- Team Leader Role requests go into a “Role Sorting” channel in New Arrivals category.
- Operator requests DM me.
- If anyone wants to use the ideas in the server and add them to their own, feel free. I am also very interested in hearing any ideas for improvement.
Just remember that SWL is not played by Permissions or Roles. Being able to find and communicate with friends can make a huge difference. This server offers an extra option for players to reach out to more players, more effectively, but your own efforts are the key.
See you soon !
